Pest control

I’ve written about my fear of cockroaches before.  Family generally takes care of keeping it a hushed up affair even if they sight one ensuring it’s either out of my sight or killed and properly given the last rites. All hell breaks loose if I sight a cockroach even a dead one for that matter. My fear for this insect goes back a long way when my granny’s ancestral house was (and still is) infested with hundreds of them that it was difficult to walk in the kitchen without stepping on one. I know - what a creepy place! Nothing worked - pest control, Hit, acid, name it and it has been tried. The source of the problem is a  1ft*1ft  opening which was once the mouth of a well. The well has been covered for years now but there is a belief followed in South India that a well should not be completely sealed. I guess the well has drained and has now probably become a open gutter making it a heaven for these insects.

And then decades later, when I lived in Bangalore it was a nightmare in every house that I’ve lived. One night I wake up at  2:30 a.m. and switch on the light for I felt something moving over me and to my shock there was a rat at the foot of my bed and about 50 cockroaches over my bag, my clothes name it and over my roommate as well. Just before you start thinking what kinds of a shady place we lived in, let me clear the air. I shared a room with another girl for a year on the ground floor and it was a spacious and well kept one. We had it cleaned every day and turns out the lady who cleaned left the window open to let fresh air in. We forgot to close that evening and the neighboring house no doubt was a shady one  that was a breeding ground for cockroaches and rats. We learned the next morning that they had emptied two cans of Hit the previous day due to which all their cockroaches found a new home in ours. Without wasting any time, the first thing I did that weekend was to leave the place into another where the neighboring houses were great too.  This is a common problem in Bangalore when people get pest control done. The more I write about it, the worse I feel so I better stop now. At times, when I’ve sighted  a cockroach I dream of hundreds in the night - it’s not imagination, it’s just old memories coming back to me.

Now, I take good care in ensuring there’s not a single cockroach. Pest control using herbal gel is the mode I prefer - it’s safe if you have kids around. After using it every 6 months for the past year or so, I must say it’s very effective. First introduced by the Pest Control of India , it has been widely adopted by many small players. The Times classifieds in Pune has a lot of listings. They usually charge anywhere between Rs. 550 and Rs.600 for a 3 BHK. All it takes is about 20 minutes. They apply a small paste all around the house - cracks, furniture, wooden cupboards, toilets, kitchen sinks etc etc. Once done, you wouldn’t see a cockroach for the next 6 months. If you do sight one frequently, then it has not been properly done and call them up and they will redo it. I’ve found PCI expensive - they charge Rs.2400 annually whereas the rest do it at Rs.1100. Bangaloreans, check it out!

Astrology and its believers

My aunt and my mother had just returned from the astrologers’ den after a 4-hour ordeal and said later that night, “One profession where you don’t need a degree, no equipment or capital investment for a swanky office but just a room rent and still keep a thriving business - astrology!” They were tired from the madness, the push and shove, the I-go-first adventure of the day. They could’ve returned, but they persisted until they had seen The Man.

Human beings are curious creatures, all eager to know what the future has in store for them - willing to lie on our bums for the rest of our lives if the astrologer predicts “You would settle abroad.” Your stars will work towards it, isn’t it?

Fortune telling is a thriving profession in India and manifests itself in various forms - palmistry, tarot reading, olai chudi/nadi josiyam, numerology, coffee reading, tea reading and astrology. The takers are no less in number ..it’s a different story whether we believe it or not. Some do it seriously as if their life depended on it and some just for the heck of it. No wonder Vivek Oberoi becomes Viveik Oberoi and just about every celebrity in Bollywood making the spelling confusing, sometimes tongue twisting ..with some changing it back and forth so many times that it’s hard to tell which is the current one. It was an obsession a while ago in Tamil Nadu and the name boards of even the tiniest grocery store changed the way they spelt it based on Numerology.

Belief in astrology has been so ingrained in our culture that people rush to fortune tellers irrespective of their class and caste, often ruining their lives by spending a fortune in parikarams, to set things right whatever be the problem - loss in business, daughter-in-law /mother tussle, marrying your longtime girlfriend or missing that much wanted promotion yet again. Often times, I’ve seen people visiting a particular temple one particular day of every week for months or fasting or taking a pilgrimage to a remote temple in a remote village of the country.

Astrology is a science; I’m neither ridiculing its believers nor doubting the credibility of those to who these people believe. Sometimes I wonder if they are just good observers and psychologists who believe in saying what we love to hear with a tinge of bad news to give it that authenticity. I just find it funny how this as a profession has passed down generations in this nation and in most cases serves as the only source of income and how people hold on to every word the astrologer says. As if the human version was not enough, we now have numerous software that boast of accuracy in prediction and high success rate in match making. There are no degrees or experience certificates to prove these astrologers are the best in their profession - it’s all by word of mouth. Of late, I’ve heard people in the marriage market complaining there’s a dearth now and many are increasingly turning to the software version but are missing the solace and comfort of hearing their fortunes from that of another human - the reassurance and personal touch is missing.

Years ago, ‘93 to be precise, a distance uncle saw my palm and said, “You would never travel abroad.” I replied, “But I just got back a month ago.” Surprised and adjusting his posture he said, “Well that was your last trip.” He pursued palm reading as a hobby and did not read everybody’s. I had no inkling about this hobby and later my granny said he was good at it. We’ll see I had told her. Those were the growing up years when all one dreamed was to study and work in U.S So this prediction was kind of upsetting. In due course of time, I perhaps forgot. More trips followed - ‘98, ‘00 followed by another one in ‘03-’04. I’m sure you have heard people tell you all sorts of things. They are good at telling what has happened in the past but when it comes to predict what is going to happen I doubt!

After all these years, I’d like to not believe any astrologer, not go to one (I don’t) and not don my fingers with colorful stones. Future is exciting when you don’t know what’s in store - isn’t that why it’s called that. Recently I was told I won’t work for the rest of my life and never have a career again. We’ll see!

IT Babus ki Motorcade

This article titled “IT Babus ki Motorcade” was published in Time Of India’s (Pune Edition) supplement on 27th Feb., ‘08.

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The Lead India initiative is such a mockery

Lead India is a Times of India initiative. In their own words,

On August 15, we embarked on an ambitious journey — a unique talent search which has the potential to make a huge difference to India. We began a hunt to identify new leaders for a new India, men and women with the vision and ability to empower India with the kind of political leadership that is so conspicuous by its absence.

The Lead India campaign stemmed from our belief — and overwhelming reader feedback — that even as India takes giant strides towards fulfilling its undoubted potential, it is doing so despite, not because of, its political leadership. ‘‘Good people don’t want to join politics’’ is an oft-heard lament. And yet, good governance is the cornerstone if India is to overcome the many hurdles that threaten to slow its journey to developed nation status. Read more

Gokulashtami : How to draw Krishna’s little feet?


I look forward to Janmashtami / Krishna Jayanthi every year for one reason. I love making Krishna’s little feet something that I’ve done since I was 13 years old. The house we live in currently has a black flooring so the feet appear beautifully against the dark background.

How to make these little feet :

  1. Mix maida in water or soak rice for 4 hours and then grind it in a mixer. Don’t make these mixtures too thick..its consistency should be neither watery or nor like a dough. Somewhere in between like a porridge will do.
  2. Fold your hands as if you were going to punch someone. Now place your hands in the mixture and then make the impression on the floor. This becomes the feet. Place five dots over the feet to form fingers.
  3. Alternate this process with both hands to get the pattern of Krishna walking.
  4. For every 3 or 4 single steps put both the feet together.

This year, I had Lil General to help me out. I put his feet in the mixture and made him stand :)

Economic Divide. A train ride


Pune Railway Station. 18:00 hrs. Destination : A Pune suburb. Mode of Transportation : Local Train.

At the ticket counter, I request for a first-class ticket. The ticket collector looks at me for a few seconds, states the price and on second thoughts says (in English), “I think you should be with the ladies in the ladies compartment. Take a regular ticket.” I follow his advice and duly march towards the a bench on the platform where a few ladies are sitting.

18:10 hrs. The silent platform suddenly is buzzing with activity. College students discussing the day’s highs and lows, white collar workers whining about their bosses, blue collar workers resigning quietly after the day’s work, low wage workers squatting on the ground and above all this noise hawkers shouting loudly selling chat (read: junk food), biscuits luring prospective customers.

18:15 hrs. The loud speaker announces that the local train is on time and is expected in a few minutes. People get up and move towards the edge of the platform. Boyfriends bid goodbye to girlfriends.

18:20 hrs. As the train pulls in, it sends a shiver down my spine. As a kid, I fell from a moving local train close to the platform and was lucky to come out alive. Since then, I have a train phobia and avoided traveling by one for many years. When a express train zips past at 80 Km ph or one pulls into the station, I shudder looking at the moving monster. Thankfully, this local train pulled into the station very slowly.

If you are seeing one such train for the first time, you could get a heart attack and die in shock. The train was overflowing with people, some were hanging out of the door with a iron handle standing in the way of their life and death. Before the train stopped, people disembarked (well, jumped) out so adeptly that they have done all their lives. It was a shock but then this is INDIA. Anything and everything can happen if you can’t find your way through a country with over 1 Billion people.

Once the train stopped fully, everyone was pushing one another to get into the bogies. The trains stop for 30 seconds at every station. No fancy doors. If your feet slips, you could be on the tracks counting the last minutes of your life. I was behind not pushing anyone. Apparently, the people behind pushed me and with the natural force I got in. Once in, I found a few inches to keep my feet and myself in balance.

Despite warnings from acquaintances refraining me from taking the train during the peak hour which it was, I took the train. Thanks to my driver who called in sick. You might ask what was I thinking? Honestly, I don’t know and wasn’t sure quite what to expect. But I’m glad I did it because —

The scene inside was a representation of the real India. Ladies of multicultural, multilingual background from the middle and the lower segments of the society chatting away with no strings attached. Discussing their festival plans, discussing work, college students talking about guys.

It was a slap in the face. The India IT has made us forget. Bangalore and Hyderabad is not India. That is the India the world knows about. As we gloat in our status having lived for the past few years in the comforts of plush offices/residences and commuting in a chauffeur driven car and shopping in malls and vacationing in foreign destinations and huge disposable incomes, the IT generation is leaving their past behind. But the past hasn’t vanished. It is still a reality for some.

This is the true face of India. According to a recent McKinsey report, an estimated 695,000 people are employed by the Indian IT and business-process -outsourcing industry. Sure, it is a large number. Interestingly, it is a meager 0.0695% of India’s population. These 695,00 odd people are the envy of the rest of the Indians. Our older generation toiled hard but couldn’t make it big. There is a huge economic divide and you can sense it in the railway stations. Be adventurous and go on one yourself!

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It happens only in India ….

A good ole’ friend wisely remarked “Any transition is difficult.” when I switched jobs in April. This transition to Pune has been significant in more ways than one. And a lot harder. New place, no friends and no job for a month was not hard to cope with. But the traffic and the daily commute is SCARY. I’m not kidding. The 40 KM ride to and fro is a drive thr hell. An unfortunate traffic incident involving us about a fornight back has made me very paranoid. Every time our driver overtakes someone, I’m sitting on the edge of my seat squeezing it tight and applying brakes in the air as though it would have an effect. Lane discipline and traffic rules are unheard of here. Last evening was quite funny or was it?) We were stranded for a couple of mins..thanks to the 20 buffaloes parading through the center of the road. 2 of them happily brushed the car too. Welcome to India!

Technology/Outsourcing - China vs India

“Doing our Homework” was published in the New York Times on June 26th. After listening to John Kerry’s acceptance speech (which btw was very good) and reading this article, I wonder how outsourcing would be impacted after Novemeber.

When I was growing up, my parents used to say to me: “Finish your dinner — people in China are starving.” I, by contrast, find myself wanting to say to my daughters: “Finish your homework — people in China and India are starving for your job.”
Another good article - How a Technology Gap Helped China Win Jobs

Emergency Services

I walk a mile to work every morning. In the past 10 months not a day has passed without being intercepted by a speeding blinking red lights vehicle. Everything comes to a grinding halt paving way for the ambulances/fire engines. This just amazes me as I see them everyday, sometimes 2 or 3 of them in a row. Well, but come to think of it ,there is actually a dark and bright side to it. Dark side being that someone is in an emergency situation. The bright side being the respect for these vehicles on the road. The slightest negligence (which is very rare) to give way for a ambulance is often met with resentment. The whole process of dialing 911-what’s the emergency-emergency vehicles coming to one’ doorstep in a matter of minutes is probably not a big deal for any developed nation. But it is to someone who comes from a billion plus people nation. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if I say In India,ambulances have to race with other vehicles and make their own way on the roads. If they succeed, then it was the patient’s good luck. No amount of honking will clear the way for them - it just adds to the already high noise level!

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